Yezdi Scrambler: First Ride Review

Styling

Just a while ago, I said that this Yezdi Scrambler is the most aspirational of the lot and I think it is that way due to its styling. Now we have to admit that Scrambler does have some design lines that resembles the Triumph Scrambler 900 but that’s okay. Because both bikes cater to two different segments. Yezdi got it right with overall body proportions of the Scrambler. There’s not a lot of bulk, nor does the bike look slim.

Things like high-placed front fender, dual-purpose tyres and that large single seat makes the motorcycle look off-road ready. The fork gaiters and the spoke wheels add quite a bit of rugged flavour. Now in order to give it an urban touch, the folks at Yezdi have made this bike available in plenty of cool looking colours. 6 to be precise. There are 3 single tone colours – orange, olive and yellow. There are 3 dual tone ones as well – blue, green and red.

The Package

The Yedzi Scrambler gets its power from a 334cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine which is also seen on the Jawa Perak. This engine churns out 28.7bhp of power at 8,000rpm and 28.2Nm of peak torque at 6,750rpm and is mated to a six-speed gearbox.

In terms of hardware, the Scrambler gets a 19-inch spoke wheel at the front and a 17 one at the back. The ride is taken care of by telescopic forks up front and gas-charged twin shock absorbers at the rear. This setup offers decent ground clearance. When it comes to braking, the Scrambler gets a 320mm disc at the front and a 240mm setup at the rear.

The Scrambler also gets some modern features like full-digital instrument c

luster that displays lots of ride data. There's LED lighting all around. For phone charging requirements, there's a USB as well as Type C charging points. And just like in the Adventure, the Scrambler too gets thre ABS modes - road, off-road, and rain.

The Ride

Before we take the scrambler on the road and also off-road, let me tell you that the Scrambler has an accessible seat height. It stands at 800mm and that means majority of Indians would be able to get on the motorcycle easily. Once you are on it, the view is good. The handlebar is nice and wide. The view is pretty good. The footpegs are centre set. And that means you got a comfortable city riding ergonomics. What about the stand-up ergos? Well, it isn’t too great and will get uncomfortable while riding for long.

The other thing I really liked about the scrambler that it is easy to move around. It has a kerb weight of around 182kgs, but it’s quite manageable to live with the motorcycle.

Now that I have told you how it is to sit and move the bike, I think it is time to ride it off-road. But first let’s talk about the engine. This motor is also refined. There are no vibes initially but you will feel some as you get closer to higher revs – something you might not do often when riding off-road. The power delivery is linear and kinda nice for a motorcycle this size. But we’ll tell you how it performs on the road when we get it for a longer duration.

Now can the bike go scrambling? Can it really switch from urban character to an off-road one? Well, first thing first. The bike doesn’t really have the ground clearance that is needed for hardcore off-road fun and the travel on the front suspension is not too much. So this clearly suggests that the Yezdi scrambler is more of an urban city bike. But to be honest, I had a lot of fun with the Scrambler. The motorcycle is super easy to ride. You can maneuver the way you want it. The wide handlebar allows you to have more control off-road. While the turning radius is quite large, the bike gives you the option to just slide the rear and get a quick turn done. This is obviously only possible in the off-road ABS where there’s no ABS activated at the rear wheel.

And like I mentioned earlier, the overall stand-up ergos aren’t that great but nevertheless, we still jumped the bike. Not just once but many times. We also did some slides. The bike managed to do all of it.

The Verdict

Before we give our verdict, we have to tell you that we go only 2.5 hours to ride and also shoot the bike. So we’ll bring you a detailed review of the motorcycle when we get the bike for a few days. Anyway, it is time to tell you what we feel about this Yezdi. Well, the bike looks stunning. And if you are in the market for a motorcycle that is an extension of your personality, well, just buy the Yezdi Scrambler. You will be extremely happy! You can also take it to dirt or maybe some flat tracking on the beach. The only issue I faced while riding off-road was the stiff rear suspension setup. It did manage to hit my back quite often, thus resulting in some fatigue. In terms of ride experience on the road, we will this detail the moment we get the test unit for a few days.